Seed-cotton separator and cleaner



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W.'0. COLEMAN.

$EBD COTTON SEPARATOR AND CLEANER- I No. 269,387. Patented 1100.19,1882.

IT/VE'SSES .Q/f QW u. PETERS, mmmlw n w. way! D DDDD 0 (Nfo Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

- W.-0. COLEMAN.

SEED COTTON SEPARATOR AND CLEANER,

No. 269,387. Pate'ntedDeo. 1.9, 1882.

WITNESSES d QM :4. PETER; mm n m. wmin m n. c.

' UNITED STATESPATENT Er ca.

WILLIAM O. COLEMAN,'OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

SEED-COTTON SEPARATOR AND CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,387, dated December19, 1882, Application filed September 15, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: tion filed September 9, 1882, are curved forBe it known that I, VILLIAM O. COLEMAN, the greater portion of theirlength, except the of Memphis, in the county ofShelby and State-upperends, which rest against and are se- 55 of Tennessee, have inventedcertain new and cured to the board 0. The bars, immediately usefulImprovements in Seed-Cotton Separaafter leaving the board 0, curveinward until tors and Cleaners; and I do hereby declare the near thelower ends thereof, and the extreme following to be a full, clear, andexact descripends of the bars D are then bent downwardly tion oftheinvention, such as will enable others nearly at right angles to theremaining por- 6o skilled in the art to which it pertains to make tionsthereof, and the brace bis secured there- IO and use the same. on insuch a position as not to interfere with My invention relates to animprovement in the free passage of the cotton downward to seed-cottonseparators and cleaners, and is dethe feeding-cylinder. .When thecotton, hulls,

signed more especially as an improvement on 850., are deposited into thehopperitdesceuds 6 the seed-cotton separator and cleaner the apfor adistance before striking the grate-bars, 1 plication papers ofwhich werefiled by me Sepand is then shot by the curvature thereof onto tember 9,1882. the feeding-cylinder E. When the seed-cot- In this improvedmachine the same number ton, with its mixedimpurities,strikesthe grateofparts are employed and the position of the bars a portion of the loosesand and other for- 70 several parts are the same asthose-referred toeign matters falls through the, grate-bars, or in the previousapplication; but the peculiar is drawn upward through the dust-flue N byconstruction ofseveral parts of the present mathe fan 0. As beforestated, the grating D is chine is adapted to more thoroughly agitatemade adjustable. This may be accomplished and separate the seed-cottonfrom the bolls, by the use of a rack, a, and toothed pinion b, 7 twigs,850., than that shown in the prior apand is for the purpose of increasig and deplication. creasing the space between it andlthe feeding- In theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 is cylinder through which a portion ofthe loose a longitudinal vertical sectional View of my bolls, twigs, andheavier trash passes from the improved machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofmachine before reaching the feeding-cylinder. the stripping cylinder.Fig. 3 is a similar view The feeding-cylinder E is journaled in mova- 0of the clearing-roller. Fig. 4. is a similar view ble bearings c,secured by bolts (1 and nuts d of the hulling-cylinder. Fig. 5 is a planView in slots 0, which enable the cylinder to be of thefeeding-cylinder, and Fig. 6 is a plan moved nearer to or farther awayfrom the sepview of grating. arating-cylinder F, so as to decrease orin- 8 A represents the frame of the machine; B, crease the distance orspace between them, as 35 the hopper, through which the seed-cotton withcircumstancesdemand, forthe passage of hulls its mixed impurities is fedto the machine by and other impurities. The feedrngoylinderE hand orbysuitable machinery adapted for the is provided throughout its entirecircumferpurpose. ence with longitudinal grooves or furrows d, 1) is aseries of grate-bars, adjustably sesituated about one inch apart, andare about 40 cured by their upper extremities to the end of five-eighthsof an inch wide. The cylinder E the machine-frame. These grate-bars aremade revolves in the direction of the arrow, and the ofmetal or wood,andare separated sufficiently cotton is more securely held thereby than ifto allow twigs,'dirt, &c., to fall through, but the cylinder wereperfectly smooth, and at the not enough to afford an escape for theseedsame time the corners of the ribs 6, striking J cotton. Thelowerendsof the grate-bars comthe seed-cotton, loosen the bulls therefrom, posingthe series are secured together by the and to some extent knock thembackward totrausverse brace b, which latter prevents the ward the frontof the machineand cause them bars from spreading and increasing thespace to fall through the opening between the cylbetween two or morebars, which would ati'ord inder and grating. The seed-cotton, with the50 an egress for the seed-cotton before being opimpurities remainingtherein, is carried over erated upon. These grate-bars, instead of betothe separating-cylinr'ler F, which latter is ing straight, as shown inmy former applicasituated in a plane slightly higher than the steadofmakingthe hulling-cylinder G smooth,

feeding-cylinder. This cylinder Fis similar to l the one shown anddescribed in application A, and operates'in the same manner. Theseed-cotton is taken up by the points of the teeth of this cylinder, andis carried upward thereby untilthe hulling-cylinderG is reached, whichlatter is situated over the separatingeylinder. This hulling-cylinder Grevolves about six times as fast as the separating-cylinder, and isadapted to knock back all bolls, twigs, &c., that have been carriedupward by thesawsorteethoftheseparatirig-cylinder. In-

as shown in application previously referred to, itis provided throughoutits periphery with longitudinal grooves'f. The spikes h of this cylinderare secured in the ridges or ribsg, and are inclined backward, as shown,and are adapted to work between the saws or teeth of theseparating-cylinder and knock back the bolls, twigs, &c., which areexposed to the action of the spikes. The bolls and twigs, together withthe adhering seed-cotton that is knocked backward by thehulling-cylinder, falls onto the grating D with considerable force,which loosens the mass and allows the dirt and sand contained therein toeither fall through the grating D or be drawn upward through thegratingJ and forced outthrough the dust-flue N by means of the fan 0. Asmooth hulling-cylinder, as shown in my appli-. cation previouslyreferred to, is liable to let pass any leaves or small pieces of twigssituated directly over the saws or teethof the separating-cylinder; butwith this improved grooved cylinder the ribs g clean the seed-cottonover the saws, while the spikes or nails h remove all the foreign matterfrom the cotton between the teeth or saws.

As before stated, the hulling-cylinder G is intended to remove all bollsand hulls from the saw-cylinder; but if,instead of knocking them off,they should stick to the teeth of the hulling-cylinder, they wouldrevolve with and choke the said cylinder and impair its usefulness; andto overcome this obstacle I have provided-the clearing-roller H, whichlatter is intended to remove all particles adhering to the teeth of thehulliug-cyliuder. This clearing-roller is provided with alternating orbroken rows of teeth, as shown in Fig. 3, adapted to work between theteeth of the hulling-cylinder and remove all adhering matter therefrom.These teeth are bent backward similarly to those of thehulling-cylinder, and as the cylinder and roller revolve in the samedirection the matter removed therefrom by the roller is thrown backwardonto the grating.

If any of the foreign particles removed from the hulling-cylinder by theclearing-roller should adhere to the teeth of the clearingroller, it isremoved therefrom by the beveled brace I, to which the grate-bars J aresecured. These grate-bars are separated sufficiently to enable dust,sand, and small particles of the separated matter to pass between them,but not wide enough for the passage of the seedcotton or bulls, and aresituated over the in ner opening of the dust-flue N and partly under thefan 0. This fan is geared with the other mechanism and creates an upwarddraft, by means of which the lighter particles of foreign matter aredischarged from the machine. The seed-cotton that has been knocked backonto the grating l) by the hulling-cylinder Gr and the'clearing-roller Hmixes with the seedcotton on the grating and goes through the sameoperation until all the bolls, twigs, 850., have been removed.therefrom. During these diiferent movements the cotton is torn apart andloosened, which frees all the dirt and allows it to fall onto thegrating or be drawn upward by the air-blast before referred to. Thecotton that adheres to the teeth of the separating-cylinder during itsoperation and passes beyond the hullingcylinder is carried by the saidseparating-cylinder around to the stripping-cylinder K, which latterruns faster than the separating-cylinder. This strippingcylinder is madeof wood, and is provided with alternating or broken rows of teeth, asshown in Fig. 2. A wire screen is situated immediately under thiscylinder, and the cotton, as it is torn from the teeth of the saws, iscarried over this screen L by the teeth of the stripping-cylinder. Thecylinder K revolves in an opposite direction from that of theseparatingcylinder, and moves about four times as fast, and as thecotton is brought around by the cylinder F it is removed therefrom bytheteeth of the cylinder K, which work between the teeth of theseparating-cylinder.

When the rows of pins or teeth of the cylinder K are continuous orunbroken, as in my previous application, they are inclined to move thecotton over the screen L without agitating it or changing its position;but when the rows are broken or the teeth arranged alternately,

as shown, the cotton is loosed and torn apart,

which frees what sand or dirt remains therein and allows'it to fallthrough the screen. cotton is carried upward by this strippingcylinderuntil the delivery-spout M is reached, onto which the thoroughly cleanedand separated seed-cotton passes, and is discharged therefrom and fallsin aloose pile on the floor or into any receptacle prepared to receiveit; or the machine can be set on a floor above a gin, and by suitableguides, chutes, or conveyers deliver the seed-cotton into the gin; or itcan be set below a gin, and by means of an elevator deliver up anddischarge the cotton into it.

The small clearing-roller H is merely intended to keep any cotton orhulls from making a complete revolution on the hull-ing-cylinder, andthe beveled brace I is intended to prevent the same from taking placeonthe clearing-roller.

My invention is simple in construction, is durable in use, andeffectually cleans the cotton of all impurities before ginning.

- It is evident that slight changes and alterations in the constructionand relative arrange- Thev Ils

ment of the different parts might be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of my invention; and hence I would have it understood that Ido not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, butconsider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as comewithin the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new,-and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for cleaning seed-cotton, the combination, with areceiving-hopper and a feeding-cylinder, of curved grate-bars, the upperends of which are pivotally secured to the machine-frame, and meanstbradjusting the said grate-bars, whereby the space betweenthe lowerends thereof and the feeding-cylinder is increased ordiminished,substantially as set forth.

2. Inamachine for cleaning seed-cotton, the

combination, with the receiving-hopper and curved adjust-al ilegrate-bars, of a teed-cylinder provided throughout its periphery withlongitudinal slots to form ribs, substantially asset forth. 3. In amachine for cleaning seed-cotton, the combination, with asnitablehopper, afeedingcylinder, and a separating-cylinder, the former beingsupported on movable bearings, of a series of curved grate-bars situatedunder the hopper and adapted to deliver the seed-cotton to thefeeding-cylinder, the said grate-bars being pivoted at their upper endsto the frame of the machine and provided at their lower ends withadjusting devices, whereby the space between the grate-bars andfeeding-cylinder is increased or diminished, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the feeding-cylinparts adapted to operate asdescribed.

' 5. The cornbinatiomwith theseparating-cylinderand the groovedhulling-cylindersituated above the same, and provided with spikes orteeth, of the clearing-roller situated above and to one side of thehulling-cylinder, and provided with alternately-arranged teeth adaptedto work between the teeth of the hulling-cylinder, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

6. The combination,with the separating and hnlling cylinders, of theclearing-roller and beveled brace I, all of the above parts coustrucled,combined, and adapted to operate as described.

7. The combination, with the grating D, brace I, and grating J, of themechanism for cleaning and separating the seed-cotton, and the fan 0,all said parts being combined and adapted to operate substantially asset forth.

8. The combination, with the gratingD,cylinders E, F, and G, roller H,brace I, grating J, fan 0, and flue N, of the cylinder K, wire screen L,and spout M, all of the above parts constructed, combined, and adaptedto operate as described.

Intestilnony whereofIhave signed thisspeci fication in the presenceoftwo subscribing witnesses.

' WILLIAM ORSBERN COLEMAN.

Witnesses:

JNo. L. COOPER, J. W. FALLS.

